I’ll be 42 this summer and I find that I have gotten pretty picky about makeup. I want coverage but it needs to be hydrating and not too covered-up — I do not want the look of a full face of makeup. I want my skin to look like my skin, just a little brighter, glowier, and more even in tone! Here are the products I use for a “my skin but better” look —
01. Sarah Creal Face Flex Concealer — I love this so much I wrote an entire mini-review about it. But the TL;DR is that this has a perfect fluid consistency, covers anything, and does not settle into fine lines.
02. Colleen Rothschild Illuminating Tinted Eye Cream — Been writing a lot about this the past week or two, but want to make sure you snag or stock up while it’s 25% off. Really helps with dark undereye circles — the only product that actually does something to address that!
03. Victoria Beckham Foundation Drops. Very regrettably, these are worth it. Blends seamlessly into your skin, moves with your skin, but looks like perfect skin. I am sadly on auto-re-order with this stuff.
04. Westman Atelier Bronzing Drops. I blend a drop on my forehead and each of my cheeks in with the VB foundation for the best, most natural and subtle sun-kissed glow.
05. Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder. The gold standard. Nearly invisible but really sets things in place.
06. Gucci bronzer. Just the best for a slight tan along the hairline, cheeks, and nose. The colors are so realistic, I think because they have a little pink/blush tone? Gorgeous.
07. Freck mascara. I have several favorite macaras, but Freck is SO good if you like a heavy, dark lash (it looks like it multiplies the number of lashes you have) and in heavy rotation right now. My other favorite is Tower28 — it’s a tiny bit more natural looking and gives you that great lash separation! I’ve had several friends text me to say: “You were RIGHT about Tower28 — never going back!”
08. Goop ColorBlur blushes. The colors are just perfect. They melt right into your skin but also have staying power. J’adore. I am really loving slipper and venus right now.
09. RMS Eyelights. Love that you can just swipe this on with finger.
10. Kosas Highlighter Powder. This looks a little scary in the palette / looks like it’s meant for disco but wears so pretty! Gives you this slight glow while also “setting” liquid/gel products beneath. I use this as a last layer on top of blush/bronzer.
11. Kosas Airbrow. All-in-one brow product: brushes, colors, fills, holds. Swipe and done.
12. Outset lip oasis. The best colors and gives you that hydrated, shiny feel. Love.
13. Soshe lip liner in desert rose. Absolutely perfect match for my lip color and glides on like a dream. This product convinced me to apply lip liner every day. Great consistency — a dream to apply.
14. Daily lip color: either Trish McEvoy in gentle or Queen Musia in Madame Bovary or Dorian (love the literary names). Both of these lipsticks have great, hydrating, almost glossy, glide-on formulas and are the slightest bit demi-sheer so you can apply without a mirror.
15. Rhode glazing milk! Just love this stuff. It’s the bridge between skincare and cosmetics for me — sets the skin and acts like a velcro for makeup. This could take us into an entire other territory (skincare), but I will cut myself off here and simply mention that I do a lot more masks during this life phase than ever before, and almost based on intuition — my skin sometimes just feels like it needs to soak in something for awhile, whether because I’m tired, dry, puffy, whatever. I am pretty regimented about using eye masks most mornings (all my favorites here) and if I have time, I like to do the Clarins depuffing mask from the undereyes down and Le Prunier’s Plumtox enzyme clarifying mask on my forehead and just sit for a good hour. If I’m shorter on time, these inexpensive K-beauty masks are super effective in about 20 minutes. You really notice a difference. I have given these as gifts to just about every woman in my life! Lastly, if I’m super-short on time (like need a quick turnaround in two minutes before getting ready for an event), I still swear by Goop’s 2-minute facial. Immediately softens and brightens skin — turns the lights on. I am never with out this and always pack while traveling too.
Zooming out on skincare, I’m still in a committed relationship with Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum. I have been using this daily for years (sometimes I swap in Clarins’ all-purpose serum if it’s on sale). Both are so deeply hydrating, brightening, satisfying. Just feels like oiling the machine, you know?! LOL. And I’ve recently fallen in love with a new gentle cleanser: Dr. Idriss’s soft wash. This line is from a dermatologist I trust (partly because I grew up going to her dad’s medical practice — her dad was my pediatrician!), and I love that she developed this inexpensive, no-frills, but very effective face wash. (It feels and smells like something you’d get at a European pharmacy.). Consistency is perfect, and it feels gentle / like Cetaphil, but actually gets everything OFF. I’m impressed!
What about you? What are you loving these days?
P.S. My favorite transitional knits for this season.
P.P.S. Not yet recovered from the wealth of wonderful recs in this rich comments section.
P.P.P.S. Books that calm the nervous system.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
